I visited the Unitarian Church on Sunday, and had a good time there. Neat folks. And frankly, it was good to be in town for a bit. Without realizing it, I went a week without leaving a few-hundred yards of the property. There was a bike race gearing up in Saranac Lake while I was there, but I didn’t see much of it. Had a lovely lunch with an awesome friend afterwards though, and met some fun folks. On the homefront – This week at The Pines, it’s all about what’s growing (and mercifully, everything is growing).

Once I realized that I would have to wait for the electrical service to be put in, a plan emerged. We moved the sheddycabin back about eight feet, which allowed for a decent amount of space is the back of the old house – plenty of space to tear down the old shed that is hanging (literally) off the house. And once the old shed is down, we’ll have even more space. So, while I’m waiting for the juice to be hooked up, I figured I might as well spruce up the area out back. Got some good things going – lots of old fashioned Adirondack standbys.

The lupins that a neighbor gave me are in, and I did some clearing on the side of the property.

Thanks to the rich soil I mixed, my (Simpson) lettuce came up in four days!

Doesn’t hurt to pretty the place up a few hanging baskets and lanterns. (This one’s a Dietz – Bought from Orville at the Gold Mine way back when.)

The grass I planted came up in about six days. (I used fescue seed if you’re interested, and I have a total method.)

Even the swamp is growing like mad! Got my boot stuck in it the other day. Sucked it right off. This stuff is like evil quicksand. (You might remember it almost swallowed a truck.)

In addition to my horticultural efforts, alternating sun and rain has been a big help. Had to seriously batten down the hatches yesterday – We had a whopper of a storm come in from the East. Ah well, we needed the water for the plants anyway. I consider it a gift from our bigger eastern cousin, Plattsburgh. Maybe TourPro sent it.

Old Cranky Guy Next Door Report for Today – Not in attendance.
Crank Level – Not applicable.

Hey, congrats on all the good growin’ – you are amazing! The hanging flowers with the lantern is so pretty, btw. Love the “crank report” too – LOL!!!

Hey, if you don’t mind, is there any way you can take a shot from the road or the side or something to kind of show the whole backyard as you have it set up now? In my mind it’s hard now to picture where everything is in relation to each other- the garden, the RV, the shed…? I know you’ve kinda explained it all, but, well, I’m stupid. I need a visual aid. 😛

I skipped the radishes and onions because the neighbors (both houses) have tons of ’em. Ate a baby radish fresh out of the ground yesterday eve at a friend’s house – awesome! If my veggies continue to do well, I’m going to propose a neighborhood harvest festival in late Summer!